NEW DELHI: Overseas players of the Indian Premier League have started to withdraw from the league as the T20 World Cup approaches.
England cricketers were at the forefront with departures already made from the competition in readiness for the ICC cricketing fiesta that will start next month.
Liam Livingstone, Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals), Will Jacks and Reece Topley (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) have left IPL and joined their defending champions England squad prior to their national duties against Pakistan in a three-match T20I series beginning May 22.
While RCB’s Chennai Super Kings clash on May 18 will miss Jacks and Topley, Rajasthan Royals’ game against Punjab Kings was also attended minus Liam Livingstone and Jos Buttler.
Indian former all-rounder Yousuf Pathan didn’t hide his disappointment with those players leaving IPL during this time of season.
Pathan wrote on social media after Royals lost their fourth match of the campaign, “Either be available for full season or don’t come”.
Earlier, legendary Sunil Gavaskar had called upon BCCI as well as IPL franchises to take decisive actions against these players who are going back home to represent their countries midway through competitions like this one.
“I am all for players choosing a country before anything else, but having assured various franchises about their availability for the full season, if they pull out now, it will be letting down the franchises. The franchises should not only be allowed to deduct a substantial amount from the fee that the player was bought for, but also not give the Board, to which the player belongs, commission of 10% stated when each player receives fee,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid Day.
Gavaskar insisted on getting tough with players who fail to honor agreements entered into by them and cricket boards as well.
Sam Curran Punjab’s stand-in skipper also after the game on Wednesday announced his intention to return home with Jonny Bairstow on Thursday and miss their side’s final league fixture.
